EASTER CONCERT

DORCHESTER ABBEY

Friday, April 6th 20126.00 p.m.

OSJ Ashmolean VoicesAlexander Rolton - CelloJohn Lubbock - Conductor

Supported by Rick Rowse

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

BLACKWELLS Music

Miserere – Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652)

Have mercy upon me, O God, after Thy great goodnessAccording to the multitude of Thy mercies do away mine offences.Wash me throughly from my wickedness: and cleanse me from my sin.For I acknowledge my faults: and my sin is ever before me.Against Thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight: that Thou mightestbe justified in Thy saying, and clear when Thou art judged.Behold, I was shapen in wickedness: and in sin hath my mother conceived me.But lo,Thou requirest truth in the inward parts: and shalt make me to understandwisdom secretly.Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Thou shalt wash me, and Ishall be whiter than snow.Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness: that the bones which Thou hast brokenmay rejoice.Turn Thy face from my sins: and put out all my misdeeds.Make me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me.Cast me not away from Thy presence: and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.O give me the comfort of Thy help again: and stablish me with Thy free Spirit.Then shall I teach Thy ways unto the wicked: and sinners shall be converted untoThee.Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God,Thou that art the God of my health: andmy tongue shall sing of Thy righteousness.Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord: and my mouth shall shew Thy praise.For Thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it Thee: but Thou delightest not inburnt-offerings.The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, shaltThou not despise.O be favourable and gracious unto Sion: build Thou the walls of Jerusalem.Then shalt Thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, with the burnt-offerings and oblations: then shall they offer young calves upon Thine altar.

Prelude from Suite No. 1 - Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

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Christus Factus Est - Giovanni Francesco Anerio (1567-1630)

Christus Factus Est - Anton Bruckner (1824-1896)

Christ became obedient for us,even unto death, death upon the cross.Because of this, God raised him and bestowed on him the name which is above all names.

The Cherubic Hymn - Mikhail Glinka (1804-1857)

Let us join our voices with the angels; Holy Holy Holy Lord of Hosts.Blessed Trinity we praise thee, as we sing our thrice holy hymn to thee.Now as we draw near thy throne of grace letour hearts cast off earthly care.Glory be to God in the highest, with the angelic host above we worship thee andpraise thee. Alleluia.

Crux Fidelis - John IV of Portugal (1604-1656)

Cross most faithful, high exalted, noble tree beyond compare: never grew there oneso blessed, branches, blossom green and fair. Sweetest wood, sweetest nails,sweetest burden thou dost bear. Amen.

Prelude from Suite No. 2 - Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

O vos omnes - Pablo Casals (1876-1973)

O vos omnes - Carlo Gesualdo (1566-1613)

O all you who walk by on the road, pay attention and see:If there be any sorrow like my sorrow.Pay attention, all people, and look at my sorrow:If there be any sorrow like my sorrow.

Syvati for Cello and Choir - JohnTavener (1944-)

I began to write Svyati in early 1995: while sketching it, I learned that JohnWilliams, father of Jane, my dear friend and publisher, was dying. I could notrefrain from dedicating it to Jane and to the memory of her father.The text is in Church Slavonic, and it is used at almost every Russian Orthodox

service, perhaps most poignantly after the congregation have kissed the body in anopen coffin at an Orthodox funeral.The choir sings as the coffin is closed andborne out of the church, followed by the mourners with lighted candles.Thecello represents the Priest or Ikon of Christ, and should play at a distance fromthe choir, perhaps at the opposite end of the building. As is Greek drama, choirand priest are in dialogue with each other. Since the cello represents the Ikon ofChrist, it must be played without any sentiment of a Western character, butshould derive from the chanting of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

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Crucifixus - Antonio Lotti (1667-1740)

All you who walk by on the road, pay attention and see:if there be any sorrow like my sorrow.

Pay attention, all people, and look at my sorrow:if there be any sorrow like my sorrow.

Salve Regina - Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,our life, our sweetness and our hope.To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve;to thee do we send up our sighs,mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.Turn then, most gracious advocate,thine eyes of mercy toward us;and after this our exile,Show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.Pray for us O holy Mother of God,That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.Let us pray: Almighty, everlasting God, who by the co-operation of the Holy Spirit didst prepare the body and soul of the glorious Virgin-MotherMary to become a dwelling-place meet for thy Son: grant that as we rejoice in her commemoration; so by her fervent intercession we may be delivered from present evils and from everlasting death.Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Prelude from Suite No. 3 - Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

O salutis Hostia - Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)O saving Victim, opening wideThe gate of Heaven to us below;Our foes press hard on every side;Your aid supply;Your strength bestow.To your great name be endless praise,Immortal Godhead, One in Three.O grant us endless length of days,In our true native land with thee. Amen.

Abendlied - Josef Rheinberger (1839-1901)Be very quiet, don't be afraidLook he likes you so muchAbove your little bedAre seesawing sun, moon and stars

His hand, the big and heavy oneSquishes yours in twoAnd his mouth, the big and dark oneHums a dulcet song at the same time

Little child, let yourself be kissed, little child, good night!Now you have to sleep, you've been awake enoughClose the golden eyesFall asleep, fall asleep, fall asleepMy beloved little child

Fall asleep, you little daugther!Even in this dark nightYour father is sitting at the bedsideAnd keeps watch

If at the night, or if in the morningBe it late and be it earlyHe will always come backHis love never slumbers

Little child, let yourself be kissed, little child, good night...4

Prelude from Suite No. 5 - Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Were you there when they crucified my Lord - Arr John LubbockThree Motets - Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924)

1. Justorum animae

2. Beati quorum via

3. Coelos ascendit hodie

Justorum animae takes its text from the Book of Wisdom:

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God; there shall no torment or malice touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seem to die, but they are in peace.

The piece is in three short sections.The outer two reflect the contemplativenature of the first and last part of the text, whilst the central section is a vividdepiction of malice - ‘Et non tanget illos tormentum malitiae’.

Beati quorum via is in six parts, with divided sopranos and basses, and ismeditative in character. Effective use is made of contrasting the three upper andthree lower voices, and the piece is rightly regarded as one of Stanford’s mostexquisite unaccompanied compositions.The text is from Psalm 119, verse 1:

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.

Coelos ascendit hodie is an Ascensiontide motet, scored for double choir, andmakes much use of dramatic interplay between the two choirs.The superb final‘Amen’ grows ever outwards from one single note, concluding on a vibrant eight-part chord.

Today Jesus Christ, the King of Glory, has ascended into the heavens,Alleluia!He sits at the father’s right hand, ruling heaven and earth,Alleluia!Now are David’s songs fulfilled, now is the Lord with his Lord,Alleluia!He sits upon the royal throne of God, in this his greatest triumph,Alleluia!Let us bless the Lord; let the Holy Trinity be praised,let us give thanks to the Lord,Alleluia! Amen.

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Alex Rolton Cello

BORN into a musical family, Alex aspired to play the cello from a very earlyage. He attended the Royal Academy of Music Junior Department where he

studied cello with Robert Max.Whilst there, Alex performed Shostakovich’s CelloConcerto No.1 with the Symphony Orchestra conducted by Peter Stark.

In 2009 Alex Rolton won a Full Scholarship to study at the senior Royal Academyof Music where he is currently studying with Professor Felix Schmidt. At theAcademy Alex has won prizes in the Herbert Walenn Solo Bach Competition, theWilfrid Parry Prize, the ‘Florence Hooten Concerto Competition’ with Elgar’sCello Concerto and the ‘Douglas Cameron Prize’. As principal cellist of theAcademy’s Opera Orchestra, Alex premiered Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ opera‘Kommilitonen’. Alex is also cellist in the Artesian Quartet who are performingincreasingly across the country recently making their BBC Proms debut with aquartet by South African minimalist composer Kevin Volans.The Artesian Quartetwill be performing at the Wigmore Hall in September.

For four years, Alex was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of GreatBritain.With the NYO he performed widely throughout the UK playing at majorvenues such as the Royal Albert Hall, the Barbican and the Sage Gateshead; andperforming at events including Glastonbury Music Festival and the BBC Proms. AsCo-principal cello he was awarded the ‘Bulgin Medal’ by the Worshipful Companyof Musicians for ‘most outstanding overall contribution to the Orchestra’.

Alex plays his recently purchased English cello built in the London PicadillySchool of c. 1730.

E A S T E R M U S I C 2 0 1 2E A S T E R M U S I C 2 0 1 2OSJ in association with Blackwells Music

OXFORD TOWN HALL

April 7th 7.30 p.m.

Beethoven and HandelBeethoven: Missa Solemnis Benedictus

Handel: Messiah in Mozart’s Orchestration

OSJ Voices - Conductor: John Lubbock

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John Lubbock Artistic Director and Conductor

JOHN Lubbock is well known as the founder and conductor of the Orchestra of StJohn’s. He began his musical life as a chorister at St George’s Chapel Windsor Castle

and later, having studied singing at the Royal Academy of Music, went on to sing with theJohn Alldis choir, was a founder member of the London Symphony Chorus and was amember of the Swingle Singers.

John founded his orchestra in 10967, whilst still a student at the Royal Academy ofMusic, with the aim of building an orchestra that would serve the community and notjust be part of the ‘music scene’..The community bias has been the main drive behind histireless enthusiasm and life long commitment to making the highest quality music makingavailable to those who might otherwise have had little or no musical experience. He hassingle-handedly gathered around him a group of distinguished musicians who are not onlyoutstanding performers but who share his ethos of bringing music to people of all agesand from all walks of life.

Besides the orchestra’s public concerts John and his players give around 50 concerts ayear to autistic children and others with learning difficulties through his charity ‘Musicfor Autism’.They have also, over the last three years developed a series of concerts forpeople with Dementia. Since the birth of his autistic son he has become very involved inthe world of music and disabled children. Apart from Music for Autism he is a foundertrustee of the Thomley Hall Centre for children with all special needs where Music forAutism has provided and equipped a music building. He is a trustee of the Music of LifeFoundation which enables gifted but disabled musicians to access music making of thehighest calibre and some of the children have performed with the OSJ and OSJ Voices.He is also a vice patron the Clear Sky Foundation which provides play therapy foremotionally damaged children and with whom the members of OSJ will be participatingsponsored by Music for Autism

In 1999 John received an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Academy of Music.

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GROW A VIOLINIn order to offset people’s carbon footprint in getting to

this concert we are initiating a Grow a Violin project.We ask that you all put £1 in a bucket as you leave

this concert with which we will buy a tree and have it planted in the OSJ copse outside Oxford.

Our wood on the Wittenham estate is growing very well.

Ashmolean VoicesAdministrator: Lilly Haines-Gadd

Soprano Olwen Turchetta Kate Smith Catherine Coldstream Georgie Malcolm Allie Whitfield Alison Coldstream Sarah Forrest

AltoElizabeth BattLilly Haines-Gadd Anna Williams

Emily West Camilla Stack

Tenor Stephen PayneNeil Malcolm Mark Jordan

BassRob SaundersStephen Garner Dan Burton Ben Attwood

OSJ BoardPETER COUSINS ChairmanROB DIXONGORDON MOULTRIEANDREW MOORFIELD

KAREN GADDWILF EATONDAVID MCLAREN

Oxford Development CouncilLORD MOSER ChairmanDAVID BARNETTCAROLINE LAINGJOHN SIMMONS

MARTINE BENOITAMANDA ROWSEROB DIXON

OSJ RANDALL SHANNON Planning Director

ESTHER JACKSON Box Office and Front of House Manager

LAURA ASHBY Concert Manager

CHRISTOPHER O’NEAL Orchestral Manager

LEE STEPHENSON Librarian

KAREN GADD Sponsorship Consultant

NICKY PRENTIS Marketing Consultant

ELLEN O’DONNELL Accountant

DANIEL LUBBOCK Orchestral Assistant

OSJ VoicesJEREMY JACKMAN Chorus Master

MIRIAM POWER Administrator

ELAINE HOWELL Librarian

Founding PatronsMr John ArmitageMr and Mrs David BarnettMr Nigel HamwayMr Charles HendersonMr and Mrs Llewelyn-JonesMr David McLarenMr Andrew MoorfieldCharlotte WayFaith Marchel

Corporate SupportersBird-Moore PartnershipCitiCPMDeutsche PostbankLloyds-TSBRichardsons

Principal Chair SupportersWilf and Liz Eaton (cello)Mr and Mrs J Taylor (viola)Peter Bennett-Jones (violin)

FriendsRobert BoasBoshers (Cholsey) LtdMrs Diana BiddlestoneMr M J BoxfordMr J DrysdaleMartin and Elise SmithBarbara East

Trusts and FoundationThe PF Charitable TrustThe Greys Charitable TrustThe Tolkien TrustThe Sandra Charitable Trust

These concerts are supported by

Orchestra of St John’s SupportersBenefactor: Toby Blackwell

Patron: Music in the Abbey; Rick Rowse

The Orchestra of St. John’s is committed to engaging proactively with itsaudiences.We would genuinely like to hear your comments and suggestions onany aspects of our performance and presentation.

Do let us know if there are projects and programmes you would like to seehappening at the Orchestra of St John’s in the future.

Contact us today at orchestra@osj.org.uk